Murad approves purchase of COVID-19 testing machines, ventilators and other equipment

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved purchase of 290 ventilators, 3.2 million Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), 100 Rapid Kit Antigen Test Machines, 100,000 testing kits, 50 RT Lamp Testing Machines and 10,000 RT Lamp Kits and 29 portable X-ray machines so that testing capacity in the province could be enhanced.
He took this decision while presiding over the 28th Task Force meeting on coronavirus here on Wednesday at the CM House.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, advisor, chief secretary, IG Police, provincial secretaries, representatives of WHO, Aga Khan Hospital, Indus Hospital, Corps 5, Rangers, PDMA, FIA, airport, Civil Aviation Authority and focal person of the task force.
The health department said that they had only 484 ventilators. Out of the total number of ventilators, 52 were out of order and 43 yet to be installed.
The chief minister said that the province needed 5,000 more ventilators. However, in the first phase he approved purchase of 290 ventilators.
The chief minister was told that the Rapid Kit Antigen Test Machine (RKATM) prepared by Chinese scientists had an easy testing system, and it was one of the best machines. It conducted 10 tests in an hour.
The chief minister approved purchase of 100 machines and 100,000 antigen testing kits and directed the health department to place the order right away.
"I want their delivery as soon as possible," he said.
The chief minister also approved purchase of RT Lamp Testing Machines and 10,000 RT Lamp Kits and issued directives for ensuring the delivery of the machines and kits.
The chief minister was told that seven health facilities, the Chest Clinic Lyari, DHQ Kashmore, the Civil Hospital Karachi, Taluka Hospital Hala, DHQ Sanghar, DHQ Ghotki and DHQ Naushehroferoze, had been provided with testing machines.
These health facilities would be able to conduct 1344 tests in six batches per day. Therefore, these health facilities needed 120,960 kits for the next 90 days.
COVID-19: The chief minister was told that the health department conducted 3,718 tests. Out of them 3,304 were declared negative while 413 were positive.
Out of 413 positive cases 145 belonged to Karachi, 265 to Sukkur, one to Dadu and two to Hyderabad.
Malir: The chief minister was told that some 100 returnee pilgrims were being kept in Malir and their samples had been sent for test. Out of the 100 samples of these returnee pilgrims, 68 were found to be negative.
The chief minister directed the health department to release those 68 people from the isolation centre but keep their data in the record.
In Karachi there were 144 cases, of them 90 are local and 54 international.
Suspects: The public sector hospitals reported 1,874 suspect cases, of them 93 were tested. The private hospitals reported 702 cases and 27 of them were tested.
New recruitments: The chief minister was told that on his instructions 2,366 nurses have been issued employment offers while the recruitment process for 1,000 doctors and 500 lab technicians was in progress.